Combined self-cleaning toothbrush and tongue scraper

ABSTRACT

A toothbrush with improved cleaning after use and integral tongue cleaning features. Multiple groups of brush bristles are positioned around a plurality of cleaning openings that extend through the head of the brush head. 
     Multiple upstanding tongue engagement surfaces are positioned in parallel spaced relation to one another between the flow through cleaning openings for selective engagement on the surface of the user&#39;s tongue.

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/808,694, filed April 5, 2013

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

This invention relates to toothbrushes that are used to clean the teethof humans by repetitive scrubbing of the teeth and tongue scrapers thatare used to scrap the upper surface of a human's tongue for increasedoral hygiene.

2. Description of Prior Art

Prior art devices of this type are directed towards toothbrushes andtongue scrapers that have improved cleaning operation to allow forbetter brush cleaning and improved performance during use, see forexample U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,438,268 and D282,318 for toothbrushconfigurations.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,438,268 is directed to a flexible bristle headtoothbrush wherein a plurality of independent brush bristle supportsections are secured together in parallel spaced relation to one anotherby a flexible connector element that extends through oppositely disposedportions of each section and attaches to a handle.

In Design Patent D282,318 a toothbrush head design is disclosed whereina brush head has a single large opening therein surrounded by aplurality of bristles extending therefrom.

Examples of prior art patents having combined brush and tongue scrapingelements can be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,758,380, 5,842,247, 6,273,719,D283,952 and D377,417.

In U.S. Pat. No. 5,758,380 a toothbrush is disclosed having a U-shapedscraper on the back of a bristle brush head.

In U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,247 a tongue cleaning brush with a toothbrush isshown.

In Pat. No. 6,273,719 an oral hygiene implement is illustrating having abrush on one end and a loop on the other end which acts as a tonguescraper.

In Design Patent 283,952 a combined toothbrush and tongue scraper isillustrated and in Design Patent 377,417 a toothbrush is shown on oneend of a handle and a tongue scraper on the other.

Applicant's own U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,036 discloses a self-cleaningtoothbrush on which the present invention is an improvement with theaddition of an integral tongue scraper and improved bristle position andcleaning element pass through configurations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A combination of a self-cleaning toothbrush and integral tongue scraperthat has a plurality of brush bristle groups that are mounted in spacedrelation to one another with multiple pass through cleaning openingstherebetween.

A plurality of upstanding tongue scraper elements extend from theopposite side of the brush head adjacent the selected cleaning openings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an enlarged partial perspective view of the brush head portionof the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the toothbrush of the invention.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the brush head portion of theinvention.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial sectional view on lines 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an end elevational view of the brush head portion of thetoothbrush with bristles shown in broken lines extending therefrom.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 2 of the drawings, a self-cleaning tongue scrapertoothbrush 10 can be seen having a handle portion 11 and a brush headportion 12 with a plurality of bristles 22 so indicated extendingtherefrom.

The brush head portion 12, as best seen in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 of thedrawings, has an outer perimeter support portion 14 that defines agenerally rectangular shape thereof. A series of bristle mounting areasare defines within the brush head by multiple groups of aligned shapedcleaning openings 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 therethrough. The bristlemounting areas are arranged in transverse and longitudinal patterns 20and 21, as best seen in FIG. 3 of the drawings. A plurality of evenlyspaced brush bristle bundles 22 shown in broken lines in FIGS. 4 and 5of the drawings extend from corresponding mounting sockets 23 within thehereinbefore described transverse and longitudinal mounting patterns 20and 21 on a brush head surface 24 surrounding the cleaning openings15-19.

Each of the bristle retaining sockets 23 are of equal annular dimensionand depth and are evenly spaced with respect to one another within thebristle mounting areas in the surface 24 of the brush head portion 12 asseen in FIG. 3 of the drawings.

The brush bristle bundles 22 so defined in their respective groupsextends from the respective mounting sockets 23 may be of even or unevenlength to provide an effective brushing pattern during use as will bewell understood by those skilled in the art.

The open pass through nature of the brush head portion 12 imparted bythe multiple cleaning openings 15-19 therethrough are adjacent the brushhead bundle groups 22 assure the effective cleaning after use bycreating an enhanced flow action of tap water as it passed therethroughindicated by directional flow arrows in FIG. 4 of the drawings, forexample.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 of the drawings, a plurality ofupstanding tongue scraper elements 25 extend from brush head's topsurface area 26 in oppositely disposed relation of the bristle bundles22 as previously described. Each of the scraper elements 25 is comprisedof an elongated bar portion 27 in spaced parallel relation to oneanother having oppositely disposed enlarged contoured ends 27A and 27B.Each of the hereinbefore described scraper elements 25 extendtransversely across the brush head's top surface 26 and are positionedadjacent the respective pass through cleaning openings 15-19 to provideease of cleaning after use as with the brush bristle bundles 22 ashereinbefore described.

The handle portion 11 of the toothbrush 10 of the invention is curved at28 extending from the brush head portion 12 with a plurality of gripenhancement bands 29 thereon. The remaining handle portion at 29 islongitudinally tapered towards its free end at 30 which is angularlyoffset at 31.

It will be evident from the above description that a user (not shown)will have the advantage of a high performance toothbrush withself-cleaning action due to the cleaning openings 15-19. Additionally,the multiple tongue scraper elements 25 will enhance the oral hygieneeffectiveness of the brush 10 by providing an integral tooth scraperwhich will allow for ease of use and cleaning as hereinbefore described.

It will thus be seen that a new and novel combination self-cleaningtoothbrush and tongue scraper has been illustrated and described and itwill be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes andmodifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

Therefore I claim:
 1. A toothbrush having a handle portion and a brushhead portion, said brush head portion comprising, a plurality of groupedaligned cleaning openings within said brush head defining multipletoothbrush bristle support areas therebetween, toothbrush bristlesextending in bundles from multiple spaced mounting sockets within saidtoothbrush bristle support areas, a plurality of upstanding elongatingtongue scraping elements extending from said brush head in oppositelydisposed relation to said toothbrush bristle bundles, said handleportion extending from said brush head portion in longitudinal alignmenttherewith.
 2. The toothbrush set forth in claim 1 wherein said bristlesupport areas extend transversely across said brush head adjacent saidrespective group cleaning openings.
 3. The toothbrush set forth in claim1 wherein said tongue scraper elements extend transversely across thesurface of said brush head.
 4. The toothbrush set forth in claim 1wherein said multiple toothbrush bristle bundles that extend fromrespective mounting sockets are of a known length.
 5. The toothbrush setforth in claim 1 wherein said tongue scraping elements are of anelongated configuration with oppositely disposed end areas of increaseddimensional aspect extending towards said adjacent cleaning pass throughopenings in said brush head.
 6. The toothbrush set forth in claim 1wherein said multiple upstanding bristle bundles extend from saidrespect mounting sockets are of unequal length.
 7. A combinationtoothbrush and tongue scraper comprising, a handle portion having abrush head portion on one end thereof, a plurality of transverselyextending spaced parallel upstanding tongue engagement rails extendingtherefrom, a plurality of spaced cleaning openings in said brush headbetween said tongue engagement rails, multiple toothbrush mountingsockets in said brush head in oppositely disposed relation to saidtongue engagement rails, multiple groups of toothbrush bristle bundlesextending respectively from said mounting sockets.
 8. The toothbrush setforth in claim 7 wherein said space cleaning openings are in pairs ofequal dimensional characteristics.
 9. The toothbrush set forth in claim7 wherein said multiple toothbrush mounting sockets in said brush headare evenly spaced in respect to one another over the surface of thebrush head about said cleaning openings therein.
 10. The toothbrush setforth in claim 7 wherein said upstanding tongue engagement rails arepositioned transversely across said brush head adjacent said cleaningopenings.
 11. The toothbrush set forth in claim 7 wherein said multipleupstanding bristle bundles extending from said respective mountingsockets are of unequal length.
 12. The toothbrush set forth in claim 7wherein said handle portion is angularly offset from the longitudinalaxis of said brush head portion.